RACP is the Richmond Academy of
Clinical Psychologists, a regional academy within the Virginia Academy of
Clinical Psychologists (VACP)

In turn, VACP is an academy that
falls under the umbrella of the Virginia Psychological Association (VPA)

Besides RACP the other regional academies of VACP are:

·Northern Virginia
Academy of Clinical
Psychologists (NVACP)

·Tidewater Academy of Clinical Psychologists (TACP)

VACP Bylaws declare this mission:

"The purpose of
VACP is the advancement of Clinical Psychology as a science, as a profession,
and as a means of promoting human welfare by developing and encouraging high
standards of ethics and training; by providing the opportunity for the exchange
of experience and research through discussions, presentation and publications;
and by educating the public in the purposes and goals of the art and science of
the practice of clinical psychology for the promotion of the public
welfare."

WHY JOIN US?

VACP was founded in 1975 when
patients’ rights to receive mental health services directly from clinical
psychologists were threatened by insurance requirements that clinical
psychologists be personally supervised by physicians. Several practicing
clinical psychologists and VACP then collectively and successfully sued Blue
Cross Blue Shield of Virginia and the Neuropsychiatric Center of Virginia
for restraint of trade and violation of freedom of practice laws.
This action insured that clinical psychologists in Virginia and throughout the country could
practice independently then and now.

VACP has remained a highly active
and effective professional organization. Many of our leaders have also
assumed and been elected to national leadership roles in organized
psychology. Russ Neumann, Ph.D. declared VACP “the special forces
of the APA Practice Directorate.” Other VACP accomplishments include the
following:

Successfully challenged an
insurance carrier initiative in the 1990’s to apply extrapolation formulae
to their audits and to retract hundreds of thousands of dollars in
previously paid fees from providers whose record keeping was deemed to be
inadequate, though there had been no forewarning or prior record keeping
guidelines.

Successful litigation against
CareFirst, a Blue Cross Blue Shield subsidiary in Northern
Virginia for truth in advertising distortions and for
provider contract violations.

VACP has steadily advocated for licensed clinical
psychologists and their patients in the Commonwealth for three decades --
shaping law, regulatory and insurance policies, our own professional skills,
and, through our members, the mental health of our citizens. VACP has
been ever-present and relentless in its efforts to improve our practice
climate. This work has included advocacy and education in relationship to
(a) third party payers of mental health services, (b) regulatory licensure
boards, (c) state and federal legislative bodies, (d) business enterprises, and
(e) the general public. A full time state lobbyist and a large and active
Executive Council are continuously engaged in professional issues of the day
and keep our members informed about fast changing clinical, economic, and
political information in the provision of mental health services at regional
and state-wide levels, If you know of topical news pertaining to clinical
psychology, you can rest assured that VACP is “on it.” As a regional academy of VACP, the Richmond Academy of Clinical
Psychologists is proud to offer its members excellent continuing education
programs at markedly low rates. Even beyond the activism, warm fellowship
prevails here. If you are a licensed clinical psychologist or a student
in clinical psychology in Virginia,
please come in – this is your professional home.